Online survey open for public input through Jan. 31

VANCOUVER – It should come as no surprise to travelers who use the intersection of State Route 500 and Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard that it is one of the most congested highway intersections in Clark County.

To address the current traffic problems, the Washington State Department of Transportation is studying the intersection with local partners to identify possible solutions to improve safety, mobility and travel reliability in the area.

“This intersection has one of the highest rates of crashes, congestion and travel delays in the entire county,” said WSDOT Regional Planning Manager Michael Williams. “Feedback from people who use this corridor will help us identify the best possible solutions to improve travel for all users.”

Members of the community are encouraged to participate in an online survey, during the month of January. The last day to fill out the survey is Thursday, Jan. 31. The information gathered will help WSDOT officials better understand how people travel through the area and inform decision-making to identify a range of practical, cost-effective strategies to improve travel at and around the intersection.

Next steps

A Technical Advisory Committee including representatives from the city of Vancouver, Clark County, C-TRAN and the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council, will help evaluate potential options based on effectiveness, cost-benefit and ease of implementation. An emphasis will be put on improvements that could be completed within the next 10 years.

While no funding is currently identified for improvements identified through this study, having a list of projects and their predicted costs will allow WSDOT to act quickly when funding becomes available. Identified plans also help WSDOT better coordinate with local partners as they develop their own transportation plans.

A list of potential solutions is expected to be available for community review and comment this spring, with the study scheduled to conclude in summer 2019. Travelers who use SR 500 can sign up to receive updates on this and other Clark County projects via email.